


Farewell

by The_Little_Lamb



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A tribute to my own loss, Angst, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Character Death, Familiar Bond, Gen, Hogwarts, I love Komodo dragons, farewell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26464009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Little_Lamb/pseuds/The_Little_Lamb
Summary: Sometimes we must make the hardest decisions.Severus Snape was not exception.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Farewell

"You may go inside, Mister Snape."

He nodded to the muggle healer and, standing from the chair, walked slowly to the opened door. Before he could do it, the woman's hand was on his shoulder with pitied eyes.

"I'm very sorry," she said. "I know it's hard to say goodbye to a friend, but think about the relief the animal would fee-"

"Maya, leave the man be," interrupted someone from behind her. "He clearly wants to see his pet without being interrupted or pitied for. So move your arse on your assignment or I'll make you be fired."

"Geez, fine. I just wanted to help.."

He saw her left the halls in an instant, leaving him and the new encounter alone.

"I apologize for her behavior," she started. "She's a new one from Texas with a brain of a rat. She doesn't get the concept of leaving the owners alone. Now, you're really may go inside, Mister Snape. She's waiting for you."

He glared at her with a sneer. He didn't want her pity. He didn't want her condolences, from her or anyone else. But regardless he took the words to himself, nodded at her and went inside.  
The smell of chemicals invaded his nose, a lonely table in middle of the silent, almost empty room. Another healer, Dr. Cox, was sitting beside it and writing on what he assumed was a computer. A report, seems more likely. Seeing him entering the room, he stood up and shook his hand.

"Good afternoon, Mister Snape. Thank you for coming," Dr. Cox said and notice the discomfort from the wizard. "We know that this workplace disturbs you. We deeply sorry for that, but this was the only room we have available at the time."

"It's not a problem, doctor," he said, looking at the white walls. "Is she going to..?" he couldn't finish the word but Dr. Cox got the idea.

"No, it will not hurt, I assure you, sir." the doctor assured him, smiling. "You may excuse me for a moment, but I would need to check something real quick before we begin. It will not take long! I'll be back shortly to proceed. You may stay with her to calm her down while I'm out. Until then, I'll leave you two be."

He nodded as he saw the man out of the room in a hurry cursing someone's timing. He was relief to be alone, but his heart still felt heavy for the reason that awaits him today. He turned to the body lying on the cold metal, and he holds his breath.

A giant and beautiful black komodo was lying on that table, completed wrapped by a soft –yet horrendous in his opinion- blue blanket. 

Hearing something from her side, the beast lifted her head on his direction, like she knew he would be there.

"Hello Ara."

 _"Severus,"_ she answered, hissing softy as her tongue took the smell of him. _"I thought you wouldn't come."_

"Why shouldn't I? I promised, did I not?" The reptile didn't answer, but the man knew she was listening. Carefully he scratched her scales from her head. "How are you feeling?"

 _"Same as yesterday, my old friend,"_ she hissed with a rumble. _"The muggles said that soon I will be released and be out of their supervision. Stupid those humans, I couldn't help but laughed."_

"Obviously."

_"And your day? How was it?"_

"Same as yesterday," he said with a smirk, using her own words. "Keeping an eye from the Carrows and the students. Weasley and their little group at bait with Hagrid. Same old thing."

_"Hagrid is a good feeder. Naïve, even. Except when it comes to those spiders."_

"I agree with you. I fought so hard to not fire him." 

_"I can only imagine."_

They went silent for some time, Severus petting her head and she enjoying the affection, relieving to the familiarity of their bond. But he knew their time is running out.

_"I'm sorry."_

"From what?"

 _"For leaving you,"_ her answer made him still. _"For letting you facing all this alone."_

"Araya, please don't-"

 _"I'm not a fool, Severus!"_ she growled at him, smashing her long tail at the table, not caring about the blanked that went off her body. _"I know I'm dying."_

The reality of those words, coming from her, made the man crack his mask, the tears silently falling from his cheeks. The memories of her took each of his defenses ripped apart.

His mind dragged each images from inside of them, slowly feeling his heart sank.

He remembered the day he found her egg, abandoned near the river. He was intended to use it as a meal after not eating the night before, but when he hold it his magic reacted in an instant, making him dropped it.

As soon as it landed in the grass, it slowly hatched and bright-yellow eyes looked at his black ones.  
It's a Komodo dragon! His mind shouted as an image of the big beast pooped inside it, the description of dangerous predators and its poisonous bite. He was scared, he didn't know what to do.

He stood looking at the little thing wary while it crawled out of the remains of the egg, yawning without a care and glared at him once again, making a squeak sound in greeting. Severus went foolishly to it, lifting a finger to its head, carefully laying it on top and scratched the scales.

He then felt it, the connection, the warm and relief. And she knew too as she slowly climbed from his shoes, pants and shirt to be on his shoulder, sniffing the air with her tongue. Accepting him as her owner and Master.

His parents never knew about her, he was very careful to hide her and the stolen chicken to feed her, getting hits from his beloved father. It was worth it, he thought.

Her name was pure coincidence. And kind of an accident, if he was true to himself. They –he, mostly– were cleaning the little book collection from his mother when a book fell on top of the komodo, scaring him.

Oh my- is she dead!?

A squeak sound was his answer and he shook his head, smiling. Lifting the book, he noticed the crumpled page, scanning it with speed.

"Araya," has what he got. A name that granted a squeak sound from the tiny beast. 

"Do you like it?" another squeak was his answer, and her name was decided.

Soon, when he received his school letter, he knew without doubt that he will take Araya with him no matter what. To show her the magical world his mother told him. He was so glad that Lily's parents took him with them to Diagon Alley, showing them her little friend, Mr. Evans very fascinated by her.

He then remembered Araya's protective nature as she squeaked against Potter and Black, the two bastards laughing at his familiar and comparing her to a dog's toy. When they finally came, her eyes shone in the Great Hall. The way her tail wrapped in his neck as she was afraid to break the spell that was in.

His mind dragged him the way the teachers reacted to their bond and their judgment of it. The clear distrust of them for being a Slythering with a pure and strong bond, especially coming from a Komodo dragon where the decision to not trust neither of them in the long turn. Araya only laughed at their faces with a growl of amusement.

He remembered the grown of her body and the magic inside her. The flame of power and loyalty radiated from her, all for her Master.

He remembered the incident of the werewolf, how she used her own magic bond to protect him with green flames, scaring Lupin off with a growl despite being so small. She had stood with such promise of death, so much power from her form on fire. Her eyes with such fury and hatred for the night beast.

Severus wanted to stop the trail of memories from coming, but another stroked him without mercy.

Soon it showed him the years after Hogwarts, the day he lost her best friend, Lily. Araya was mad with the red haired girl that she almost bites her the moment he catches her to apologize. He yelled at her and questioned her for reasons, she trying to help him heal his wounds from the heart.

His mind went to the days after Halloween, after the Potter's death. How she comfort him and took care of him when he was drunk, when he didn't wanted to live, when he wanted to give up.

Her love, her intelligence and instincts, her ferocity, her trust and loyalty is all she gave him all these years.

And now that he needed her most, fate, once again, granted him loss.

**"Life isn't fair."**

His own words brought him back to reality.

If only he had noticed it earlier, he would have been able to detect it sooner.

If only he had taken the time to pay attention to her, none of this would happened.

If only he-

 _"Severus,"_ her voice ringed again, back to her. Araya's eyes, now blind and lacked of color, tried to glare at him. _"It's not your fault."_

"If only I had noticed it.."

_"It was beyond your reach, my old friend. The vow makes the man blind, but it was not your fault. Never yours."_

"I'm a terrible owner."

 _"You are not!"_ she shouted at him by their bond, her growl in reproach. _"You gave me what I wanted, Severus. You gave me a chance of life. A chance to be meet this world. A chance to be cared and loved by you. A chance to learn from you what I could. A chance to make my own mark and earn my worth as your familiar. A life with you was something I could never have thought to have, all thanks to your love."_

Her head, with steady steps, bumped his chest and Severus felt the bond wrap them both. Some went to his cheek, trying to clean his tears without avail.

 _"I am so proud to have been your chosen,"_ her magic still strokes his cheek like a ghost touch. _"And I know you're proud to be mine, too."_

He couldn't hold it. He brings the big, black beast to his chest, lifted her with much care, without caring her weight or the man that came into the room, and cried. Araya nuzzled his neck with tenderness, her tail and front claws returning as much as she could the hug from her master. Giving him comfort like she always does. Severus holds her as he sobs, tightening her to him for the last time.

He didn't want to let her go.

It was too soon, so damn soon.

But the news was printed in her medical records, both magical and muggle alike.

He started, once again, to remember.

The first thing he saw a month after he became Headmaster was her constant need for water during the week. He thought that the stress of the Carrows and the Death Eaters meetings. Then it was the way she moved, she would slipped and hit the floor once in a while. She shyly would tell him that she wasn't used to the stoned floor from the office. And he would believe her, of course. After the end of the second month of stress and detentions, she started to throw up her food. That got him worried that he made her drink some potions and order her to stay in bed. She was fine the next day, or at least that's what he thought.

But finding her so week on her favorite rug by the beginning of the third month, eyes clouded with pain while she tried to stand up, her body shaking, her own magic core struggled inside of her and the feel of her pain made him act instantly.

He went to Madame Pomfrey first, the healer's doubts rising since the time he killed Albus Dumbledore, but as soon as she saw Araya she hide her suspicion aside, getting to work for the poor animal. And she was the first to send him to a muggle clinic, by his entire surprise.

Why would she do that? None of the less he followed the matron's orders.

The doctors, regardless of his harsh voice and distrust of them, were kind to him. They offered him some tea and a sandwich after noticing his lack of lunch. It took them an hour to convince him to release the animal and another four long hours to explain him the results.

Intoxication.

Chronic renal disease.

They explained to him that that happened to animals within old age, that it was for sure normal in the animal kingdom. But to him it was a blow to his heart, a great hit that he almost collapsed to the floor.

She was suffering.

She was slowly slipping away from him.

Araya was **dying.**

He remembers his voice -almost breaking- asking what he could do for her and the doctor gave him two options. He could wait for her to stabilize her levels with medical therapies and give him a recipe to make her work with. He told him that there were chances that she could have some months before the intoxication returns to her system and kills her.

And the other one, the hardest one, was to put her to sleep.

It took him four days to think about it, a long talk with Pomfrey that, in the end, believed him about his loyalty to Dumbledore to make a decision. And he knew her well enough to tell that he had made the good one.

He released her and took a look of her eyes, glassy for the time she spent in here, a mark of her aged time. With a kiss on her head he put her back in her blanked, their bond slowly fading away from them.

This was it.

This was the goodbye.

"I love you, my little Araya.." he said in between sobs, his mask completely broken and vulnerable to the world to see. "I love you so much.."

 _"I love you too, my friend, my dear Master,"_ she hissed softy. _"Don't blame yourself from this. We will see each other once again. Mistress Nature is sure of it."_

He nodded his head, his sobs getting worse. As his clue, Dr. Cox prepared the room and the injection that will put Araya at rest. Severus only stood there watching her entire body shifted with distrust that soon was replaced with bravery, like a prince, a character that was taken from him with proud and honor.

All this without taking her eyes from him. 

_"Farewell, Severus."_

The wizard saw the needle connect with her arm, the liquid going inside of her blood and into her system. Her eyes went shut, feeling them heavier and heavier by the second. Her chest was moving in rapid breaths until it stops completely, taking her last breath from the living. And part of him turned ice cold and grim, his heart breaking in half.

The euthanasia was a success, he heard Dr. Cox said and took notes in his computer, but he wasn't paying attention. He still looked at her limp body, her eyes shut in a deep sleep.

She was freed from the war.

Freed from the pain.

Free at last.

"Farewell, Araya."

**Author's Note:**

> This was first published in fanfiction.net.  
> I wanted to make this story as a way out of the pain and as a tribute for my own loss, my 14 year old dog.
> 
> It was a great shock for me and my family, as we looked his playfull self slowly fading away from us. It was four days of stabilization and examinations that we reached the same conclusion of this story. His kidney wasn't working to him, and he couldn't stand completely the treatment. When he came home with a tower around his body, all week, with an eye blind and his legs not responding, we knew that we must take the hardest decision as a family.
> 
> Putting him to sleep.
> 
> And it's painful, knowing that the moment I'll wake up, it would be a day without his claws hitting the wooden floor, his ways to steal our socks, to ask for attention and love.
> 
> Today was his last day living in this world. And now he rest in a special place in our garden, a memorial of him by us. Buried in the place he liked to take the sun. I will never going to forget him, our little fighter. I spent all night without sleep, trying to distract myself, writing ideas, seeing videos, trying to play some games and I'm crying while finishing writting this note.
> 
> This 2020 definitely is the worst year of all. I'm at least glad that he lived a good life by our side. I must be strong for him. To him to rest completely.
> 
> Rest in peace, my little fighter.


End file.
